1. The Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to an apparatus for sorting utensils or silverware, such as spoons, forks and knives. More particularly, the present invention relates to a utensil sorting apparatus which continuously receives utensils, simultaneously sorts a plurality of the utensils, and simultaneously orients the utensils as they are sorted.
2. The Background Art
Large food preparation entities or eating establishments, such as restaurants, hotels, hospitals, cafeterias, etc., may serve hundreds to thousands of people per day or per meal. The large number of people served results in thousands of utensils or silverware which must be washed, sorted, and reoriented prior to reuse. These washing and sorting operations are typically performed by unskilled labor who collect the utensils, wash the utensils using either manual or large capacity washing machines, and then sort and orient the utensils. Because sorting the utensils requires the unskilled laborer to touch and handle the utensils, they must typically be rewashed to satisfy health and sanitation issues. One disadvantage with this system is the time and cost involved in unskilled labor manually sorting and orienting the utensils.
It is desirable to provide a system and/or apparatus for sorting and orienting utensils which is efficient and capable of rapidly sorting the utensils. It is also desirable that such a system or apparatus be accurate, simple, and sanitary.
A few different types of devices have been developed for sorting utensils. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 3,625,356 issued Dec. 7, 1979, to Jackson, discloses a device in which utensils pass through a chute with a twisted shape so that the utensils are caused to pivot about their lower end and swing outward towards a set of different height, gauged bars. The gauged bars are positioned at heights to allow shorter utensils to pass under the gauge bars while the higher gauge bars prevent longer utensils from passing underneath.
As another example, U.S. Pat. No. 3,389,790 issued Jun. 25, 1968 to Braunheim et al., discloses a device in which the utensils are disposed between partitions on the exterior of an angled drum. The drum rotates causing the utensils to rotate past a shield disposed about the lower portion of the drum. The shield is provided with three differently sized apertures for receiving three differently sized utensils as they are rotated past the apertures by the drum.
As another example, U.S. Pat. No. 3,545,613 issued Dec. 8, 1970, to Nystuen, discloses a device in which utensils are received between partitions on a conveyer belt. The conveyer belt moves the utensils past a plurality of different sized openings which are each sized to receive one of the utensils.
As another example, U.S. Pat. No. 3,389,711 issued Jun. 25, 1968, to Slayton, discloses a device with a plurality of open-ended pockets or tapered tubes which are rotated about a horizontal axis. The device has a first row of tapered tubes with an open bottom end sized to pass therethrough the narrowest utensils. As the tubes rotate about the horizontal axis, a utensil is disposed in each tube such that the narrowest utensil passes through the bottom of the tube while wider utensils will be trapped within the tube. As the tube rotates upwardly, it turns upside down such that wider utensils will fall out and be guided toward a next row of tapered tubes with wider openings.
One disadvantage with these types of devices is that they are designed to sort the utensils only one at a time. Thus, the utensils must be separated and fed into the devices one at a time, so that each utensil is disposed within a separate pocket or separate tube. In addition, the utensils are presented to a gauging opening one at a time.
Another disadvantage with these devices is that they only sort the utensils. Orientation of the utensils is performed as a separate step after sorting, if at all. Thus, after being sorted, some of the devices direct the utensils to other devices which are intended to orient the utensils in a common orientation.
Therefore, it would be advantageous to develop a method and/or apparatus for sorting a plurality of different utensils, which is simple, efficient, accurate, and sanitary. It would also be advantageous to develop such a method and/or apparatus which is capable of sorting a plurality of different utensils simultaneously. It would also be advantageous to develop such a method and/or apparatus which simultaneously sorts and orients the utensils.